Some 300 Black Hebrews living in Dimona will soon receive deportation orders from the Interior Ministry, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today. Ministry sources confirmed plans to deport the Blacks whose temporary residents visas have expired. The Black Hebrews began coming to Israel from the US two years ago after failing in their attempts to establish a Hebrew commune in Liberia. Spokesmen for the group claim they are the legitimate descendents of the Israelite patriarchs and have demanded Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. Israeli authorities have refused to recognize their credentials as Jews.
The JTA questioned Interior Ministry sources about the deportation plans after Yehuda Yeffet, secretary of the local Histadrut branch in Dimona, told reporters that the Blacks were becoming a serious nuisance in Dimona. Yeffet claimed that during the past few weeks they repeatedly took food from the local supermarkets and refused to pay. He said the police were informed and that he was subsequently assured by the Interior Minister that the Blacks have been ordered to leave the country and would be deported if they refused to leave on their own.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
